A major controversy has erupted over BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi’s declaration of his marital status in an affidavit filed before the Election Commission with his nomination papers for the Vadodara lok Sabha.
While the Congress launched a scathing attack against Modi for taking so long to admit that he was married to Jashodaben for 46 years, his elder brother Somabhai Damodardas Modi defended him publicly.
Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh tweeted, “Modi accepts his marital status. Can women of this country trust a man who stalks a woman, deprives his wife of her rightIJ Vote against Modi.”
All India Women Congress (AIWC) president, Shobha Oza, said the matter of his concealing his marital position from the public and the Election Commission was a reflection of his character. “Since he is a prime ministerial candidate, he is a public figure and the question of his him hiding his marital status from people does not arise as it cannot be a private matter. It directly raises questions on his character,” said Oza.
“It is unfortunate that it took 46 years for Modi to know whether he is married. In the four occasions, where he has contested elections in the past, he has always left the marital status column blank and then this sudden realizationIJ” she questioned.
Coming out strongly in his brother’s defense, in an emotional appeal, Modi’s eldest sibling Somabhai through a written letter asked people not to evaluate his younger brother’s credentials on the basis of an incident that happened five decades back.
“What happened 45-50 years ago should be seen in context with the circumstances of a poor and superstitious family and please don’t evaluate it with his current position,” said Somabhai in a written statement which was circulated by Gujarat BJP.
Outlining facts about NaMo’s childhood and his family’s circumstances, his eldest brother wrote that inspired by patriotism and social service Narendrabhai left home at a very young age. “We are progeny of a poor family, which was influenced by orthodox traditions of caste having limited education. Of all siblings, Narendrabhai’s thoughts, interests and activities were completely different. Our parents were not educated and for them he was like any other ordinary child. In such perspective, they got him married with Jashodaben Chimanbhai Modi at a very young age,” said Somabhai.
“However, Narendrabhai’s only religion was ‘service of the nation’ and left home leaving behind all marital pleasures, he said adding, thus his marriage with Jashodaben remained just a formality,” he said. Somabhai also admitted in the letter that Modi was not just isolated for his wife but also from the rest of his family.
The Congress also criticised Modi for being party to the “snoopgate,” or the alleged spying on a young woman by Gujarat police officers in 2009.
“On one hand, he has been disrespectful to his wife by dereliction of his duties of a husband and on the other he has been accused of spying on another woman. In a public sphere, he is answerable,” asked Oza.
Brother of Modi's estranged wife Kamlesh Modi told to a section of media that his sister Jashodaben has vowed not to eat rice and not wear any footwear while she goes about her Chardham Yatra to pray for her husband’s ascent as the Prime Minister of India.